Security Wake-up Call: Hackers Deface U.S. Navy Site

The U.S. Space and Naval Ware Systems Command was defaced Monday morning with what appeared to be screenshots of database files taken from a major airline and bank. The hacker group claiming responsibility said it shouldn't have been that easy.

The U.S. Space and Naval Ware Systems Command was defaced Monday morning,
with presumably legitimate screenshots of database files from a major
airline and bank.

Using a common gateway interface (CGI) hack, a defacing team calling
itself the Deceptive Duo posted the information on the U.S. Navy site
to "ensure that the public is aware of the United States of America's lack
of security."

At the bottom of the defaced Web page (which has since been taken offline),
several screen shots have been added, notably what seems to be a flight
schedule and passenger manifest for a Midwest Express airline database
using Microsoft Access in Windows XP Office.

"This situation proves that we are all still vulnerable even after 9/11,"
the DeceptiveDuo posted on its defacement. "Tighten the security before
a foreign attack forces you to. At a time like this, we cannot risk the
possibility of compromise by a foreign enemy," the Web page statement read.

Officials at Midwest Airline and the Department of the Navy were not
immediately available for comment.

It also appears the e-mail addresses and full names of Midwest Express
customers have been compromised with the screenshot, which one security
expert said, "seemed legitimate, and not just a manipulated image map."

In an instant messaging interview with the two members, the Deceptive Duo
said it was "quite easy" to break into the database of the airline and the
Union Bank.

The two wouldn't explain how the bank database was accessible, but said
they got into Midwest Express because of a relatively common
vulnerability. The airline uses Microsoft SQL, which has a default
password to login. It's seems the system administrator didn't change the
password when the database was implemented and put on a live network. The
two merely gained access to the corporate intranet and typed in the default
password to get in the database.

In a pre-emptive rebuttal to critics who say Web site defacing/hacking is not
the way to publicize security breaches, the Deceptive Duo said it has
attempted to gain the attention of the affected companies attention in the past.

"We've tried subtle ways of informing the (admins of) vulnerable servers,"
one of the duo said. "It seems that it takes drastic means for others to
realize the severity of this all. And I feel if we show the mass public,
others will flex and strive to secure their servers as well. I mean, we
see everyone pushing for stronger security, yet we are still witnessing
breaches?"

"Unfortunately, it takes action to get a reaction," the duo concluded.